The all-inclusive HGSE experience is about opportunities beyond the classroom. We asked several students to share their experience with different social organizations. Anabella Morabito is in HGSE’s Higher Education master’s program and shares her experience as a member of Comunidad Latinx.
Tell us about your organization.
Comunidad Latinx seeks to culturally, intellectually, and emotionally engage members of the HGSE Latinx Community by providing a safe and inclusive space that serves as the central point for elevating the assets and concerns impacting our community. It is a space that seeks to promote authentic sharing, a community of support grounded in Latinidad, and a space for genuine connection and friendships. We see this student organization as not only a place to connect, but also as a space to organize and advocate for that which impacts our collective communities.
What events or programming do you have planned for the year?
This year, our priority has been to allow spaces for friendships to be formed. We understand the unique challenge that online learning and the pandemic has had on our communities, and we believe that this is the best way we can advocate for our community now: to promote a space of belonging, creativity, connection, and lighthearted fun. So far, we have hosted a Zoom Bienvenida and Dance Party, we will also be hosting a Loteria Night to unwind from the collective anxiety of elections and finals (If you are unfamiliar with Loteria, it’s like Latinx Bingo!). We are also planning various other events in the Fall, among them a self-care event and cooking nights where we can bring the recipes of our respective traditions & families. For the Spring, we would like to focus more on academic engagement and advocacy by bringing speakers, hosting more panels, and collaborating across affinity groups that represent our intersecting identities: BSU, UndocuAllies, FIERCE, and PACE.
Why did you join this group?
For me, Comunidad Latinx represented a space where I could be both fully Latina and fully a Harvard grad student. I know that sounds obvious, but it can be hard to find spaces in grad school where you can fully navigate both identities genuinely – and for me that is the opportunity that Comunidad Latinx provides. It has allowed me to form friendships, even in a time where it seems impossible to do so remotely – and for that I am grateful!
How is the online format of your organization different from the in-person format?
I have to be honest, it has been difficult! Not because of a lack of creativity or unwillingness to make it work – I mean we had a full blown dance party on Zoom with a DJ, abuelitas and all. But it has been hard to fully transition an experience that is so personal and human to fully online. I never got to experience the in-person experience of Comunidad Latinx, and yet I find myself missing not having our shared meals, our abrazos and the ability to share a physical space and fill it with shared memories and mutual meaning. However, the leadership has been incredibly supportive and we have found ways to create a community even beyond time zones, distance, and zoom fatigue. I am very impressed at what we have managed to build, and I can’t wait to see what will come!
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